Here for Each Other
by Valyn Iliev
Summary: A fanfic that takes place after the end of Brotherhood. My first fanfic. Rated T for language in later chapters. Ed and Al have their bodies back, and they've faced the impossible. But can they face the challenges that life is about to throw at them? EdxWin. Eventual AlxMei. I don't own Fullmetal Alchemst or any of the characters. Etc.
1. Chapter 1: Morning

A/N: This is my first fic, born of me just having watched the end of FMAB and having too much time on my hands. I got caught up in all of the Ed/Win fluff and this was a product of that, I guess. Just a story about Ed and Winry after the end of the series. I love those two. *Sighs* Yep, I'm pretty hopeless.

"Mei, come here! Quietly though!" Al called from upstairs.

Mei looked up from the alchemy book she was reading. She and Al had just returned from Xing and were staying with Ed and Winry. She had been the first one up, and with nothing better to do, had been reading the books in Ed's study. She hadn't even realized Al was awake until she heard his voice. "What is it, Alphonse?" She asked, walking up the stairs to meet him.

Al was standing at the door to Winry's room and he had a smile on his face. "Look, Mei!" He said as he pushed the door open farther.

Mei walked inside and saw Winry and Ed still asleep, looking very peaceful, both with smiles on their faces. They were sharing a pillow, and Ed had his arm around Winry.

"I came in here to wake Winry up, but I saw them and they looked so sweet I just couldn't," Al said warmly.

Mei had to agree, she never imagined Ed could look this calm. Then suddenly she realized something.

"What's Ed even doing in here?" Mei wondered aloud.

"Beats me," Al replied chuckling, "but we should probably get out of here and let them sleep.

An few hours later, Ed came down into the kitchen where Pinako, Al, and Mei were already having lunch.

"What gives? Why didn't you guys call up for me?" Ed asked them as he stretched.

Al and Mei shared a look.

"We just thought you could use the extra rest, brother," Al responded with a smile.

"Is Winry up yet?" Mei asked, smirking.

Ed blushed, "How would I know?" Al and Mei looked at him skeptically, causing Ed to panic slightly, "Uh, pass me something to eat, Granny. I'm starving."

"I'll talk to him later," Al whispered to Mei, "Ed has some explaining to do!" He said, grinning.

A/N: So yeah. Chapter 1 is over. I wrote this late at night when I was sleep deprived. If it needs fixing, let me know. And yes, if you guessed that this was based off the ending of the last theme, you were right! *Salutes* Thanks for reading!

R and R and all that. Don't flame please, I'm not a professional, you know.


	2. Chapter 2: Nightmare

A/N So yeah, chapter two. I uploaded these chapters together cause I wrote them a day apart. Enjoy.

"So, brother, you weren't in our room when I woke up," Al commented casually as he hammered another shingle in place.

Ed froze. He looked down at the roof to hide his blush, "Uh, yeah... It felt hot in there, so I slept on the porch."

"Oh come on, brother, we know you slept in Winry's bed last night," Al said, taking delight in his older brother's panic.

"Oh... yeah, that's right. Um, pass me some more shingles, Al. I'm running low."

"Pass me some shingles? I'd like to know why you were in there. If you and her are together now, you should have just told me," Al said shrugging.

"No, nothing like that... I just... well, I had a nightmare," Ed muttered, looking embarrassed.

"Really? But you got my body back and found out that it wasn't Mom that we transmuted. What was your nightmare about?" Al asked, sad and confused that Ed still felt this way.

"I saw Nina, and Hughes, and all of the others who died along the way. Kimblee was there, and he told me that without my alchemy, there was nothing I could do to save my family. Then, I watched you and Winry die, Al," Ed said, looking down.

"Brother... just because you don't have your alchemy doesn't mean you're useless," Al told him, unsure of how to comfort his older brother.

"I'm okay, Al. Anyway, you wanted to know why I was in Winry's bed, right? Well I woke up from the nightmare, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. I walked out of our room, and was on my way down to get some water, or something. I kept seeing those images in my head though, I couldn't get them to go away."

"So Winry," May began with a smile as the two of them walked back from town, "did you and Edward have a slumber party last night or something?"

"Oh," murmured Winry, beginning to blush, "it's complicated."

"Come on, it's just us girls here, you can tell me!" May said cheerfully.

"I guess everybody knows, so I might as well tell you. You see, I was woken up by a loud thump from the hallway. I got up and opened my door to see what it was, and I saw Ed there, slumped against the wall and shivering. I haven't seen him look that scared or vulnerable for a long time, and it really worried me. He never told me that he had these nightmares, so I was surprised to see him like that. He saw me and got up. I think he was going to tell me he was fine or something stupid like that, but he didn't. He just stood there, shivering," Winry told her, looking sad at the memory.

"Poor Edward. Alphonse told me about his nightmares. He said they were really bad," Mei said quietly.

"I don't know if I put my arms around him, or if he just fell into them, but the next thing I knew, we were hugging, him still shivering. There was no way he would have gotten back to sleep after that. But Ed needs his rest or he feels awful all day. I led him into my room and lay down in the bed with him. He told me about the nightmare, and I told him to go back to sleep."

"Then, she told me 'it's okay, Ed. Whatever you saw, it isn't real. If you have another dream like that again, I'll be here.' I don't know why, but that made me feel a lot better. Eventually I fell back asleep," Ed finished.

"Aww, that's a really touching story, brother," Al said as he patted Ed on the back.

"Yeah, well touching stories won't get this roof fixed any quicker. Oh, and Al..."

"Yeah brother?"

"Does everyone know?"

"Well, Mei does. Granny doesn't, and thank your lucky stars for that. She'd probably clobber you with a wrench before you had a chance to explain."

"Heh, yeah," Ed laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "I'll be more careful next time!"

Al paused in his work. He honestly didn't know if his big brother was kidding or not.

A/N: I seem to do a lot of writing late at night. This is no exception. I needed Ed to have a moment of vulnerability because Winry has one coming up in a few chapters. More characters will show up, and eventually I'll get into more actually story instead of whatever I'm thinking about at 3 A.M. Thanks for reading!

R and R and all that. Don't flame please, I'm not a professional, you know.


	3. Chapter 3: Departures

A/N: I actually got viewers! Thanks to everybody for reading, and I mean it. I really appreciate that you guys read my story. In the future, I will hopefully get a chapter up every few days. This chapter is the beginning of the actual plot, and about time too! So without further ado, enjoy chapter three!

A few days after Ed's nightmare, Mei packed up to head to Xing. Then she gathered everything up and said goodbye.

"Goodbye Mrs. Pinako," Mei said, bowing slightly, "you made me feel very welcome here, and I thank you for that."

"Of course," Pinako puffed out a ring of smoke before continuing, "make sure to stop by the next time you're in the area."

"Okay!" Mei moved on to Winry, "thank you for all of your delicious apple pies!"

Winry smiled at her, "yep! Anytime, Mei!"

Mei approached Ed, "Take good care of Winry and Alphonse!"

Ed chuckled, "yeah, I will!"

"I'll walk you to the station, Mei," Al offered, hoping for a few more moments with her.

Mei smiled and the two of them headed off.

"It's going to be quieter around here," Winry said. After a pause she continued, "I'm going to go inside and get lunch started."

Pinako and Ed sat on the front steps for a few minutes after that. Ed was thinking about how happy Al and Mei were together. Then Pinako stood up as well.

"Well, Ed. I think we should have a talk," she coughed and Ed looked worried.

"What do you want to talk about, Granny?"

"I'm going to cut to the chase. As much as I may argue with you, you and Winry will be very happy together. Make sure you treat her right. Don't worry her when you can help it. I know you can't help being a bit stubborn and reckless, you get it from your father," Pinako said as she puffed on her pipe.

"That bastard-" Ed began.

"May have been completely useless as a parent, but he did care about you, Ed. And he tried. Cut him some slack."

Ed looked down.

"I know you blame him for your mother's death, but he didn't make the plague come, Edward. That was just, what is it you alchemists say? 'A part of the flow.' And blaming him for your problems sure as hell won't make them go away," Pinako said sternly.

Ed sighed, "I guess you're right, Granny."

"I am right. You need to be strong. You're Al and Winry's rock. You remain steady and keep them strong. Even when things seem tough. I know you don't feel strong, but you are. Sorry to push this on you, but that's what you've always been."

Ed smiled and looked up, "I know, Granny."

Pinako smiled, "I'm glad," she paused and grew more subdued, "I think I'm going to go visit some old friends. My son and daughter-in-law. Your mother and father. I'm going to be a while. Tell Winry not to make any lunch for me."

"Okay, Granny," Ed replied. He was a bit surprised by how somber she was.

Pinako walked halfway down the driveway before turning around and shouting, "and get a job, you lazy pipsqueak!"

Ed smiled, "I will, you just wait!"

Ed walked back inside the house and saw Winry standing at the kitchen stove, making something that smelled delicious.

"Hey, Win!" Ed called happily.

"Hey, Ed! What's up?" She responded with a smile.

"Granny says not to make any for her, and also... well..." he broke off, unsure of how to continue.

"What is it, Ed?" She asked him.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the train station last year..."

Winry was surprised. She had wanted to ask him about it but had decided it was better not to push him. She had suspected it would be hard for him to talk about, but now he was bringing it up on his own. She sensed her grandmother's interference.

"It was kinda weird, Ed," Winry told him.

"Weird?" Ed asked, looking defensive, "I'm sorry but how was it weird?"

"You spouted some alchemy stuff, laughed, hugged me, and left," Winry said, a bit annoyed.

Ed started to reply, but Winry saw that he was getting riled up and decided to calm him down.

"Maybe weird isn't what I meant," Winry said quickly, "more like... confusing."

"Oh," Ed looked to have relaxed a bit, "is there any way I could help make it less confusing?"

"Yeah, just tell me one thing," Winry decided to push the issue, "do you love me, Ed?"

Ed blushed and tried to stammer a reply but no words came out. Winry smiled at him.

"That's all I needed, moron," she said fondly as she put an arm around him.

At that moment, the door opened. Edward and Winry quickly stepped apart.

"Hey Al," Ed said nervously, "what's new?"

But then he saw the tears starting to form in his brother's eyes.

"Al, what's wrong?" Winry asked worriedly.

"It's Granny," Al managed before he broke down.

A/N: Yeah sorry. It hurts to have Pinako die, but it's a part of life, you know? And besides, Winry needed her vulnerable moment. Well, I guess they all get a vulnerable moment. I just hope I can pull this off. Anyway, late night writing sessions FTW! *Sigh* I need to sleep. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4: Sadness

A/N: Yay! People keep reading! Thanks for reading my insanity! Please review and let me know what I did and didn't do well. If you don't like the story, tell me what's wrong with it. If you do like it, tell me what the best parts are! Anyway, these chapters seem to keep getting longer. I couldn't bring myself to actually include any details about Pinako's death because I like her character too much. I hope you understand. Enjoy chapter 4!

Edward Elric had gone through some emotionally trying times during his short life: when his father left, after his mom died, during automail rehabilitation, and after he learned Winry was a hostage. The days after Pinako died definitely made that list. Winry had stayed surprisingly calm after Al told them, she stayed quiet and practical for a few hours. They made all of the arrangements with the funeral home, and then they walked back to the house. As soon as they got home, Winry locked herself in her room. Al, meanwhile, was still curled up in a ball on the couch. Ed walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay there, Al?" Ed asked softly.

"I th-think I've run out of t-tears, brother," Al said shakily.

Ed looked down at his younger brother. He hadn't seen him in such a wreck since their mother died. They really had seen Pinako as a surrogate parent. Ed blinked back his own tears and made a decision about how to help his brother.

Ed walked over to the phone and dialed Major Miles.

"This is Miles. Who is calling?" the gruff voice answered.

"Major, I need a favor. A train will be coming through Ishval later tonight. Mei Chang is aboard it. Could you pass along a message for me?"

"Of course. What's the message?"

"Tell her that our grandmother is dead, and that Al needs her support. If it's not too much trouble, send her back to Resembool on the first train tomorrow."

"Sure. Take care, Elric."

Ed hung up the phone and crawled into his bed. When he finally cried, it was silently. Eventually he drifted off to sleep.

Ed woke up when he heard a knock at the door. He shouted down, "One second!"

He quickly dressed and headed downstairs, past Winry, who was still locked in her room, and past Al, who was still passed out on the couch. He went to the door and opened it.

However, instead of seeing Mei as he expected, he instead saw Sig and Izumi Curtis standing at the door with smiles and luggage.

Ed gaped. He hadn't expected this by any means. He quickly recovered and gulped.

"Uh... Teacher! Sig! What brings you here?" Ed asked nervously, anticipating a kick to the face.

"Well look at you, Edward! You've grown taller!" Izumi said smiling.

"We heard that you lost your grandmother, and we decided to pay you a visit to cheer you up!" Sig said cheerfully.

Ed was not convinced. He still felt the threat of his teacher, but now he was wondering something. "Uh, how did you guys know about that?"

Izumi looked bored, "oh, it was a long chain of phone calls. You called some guy named Miles, he called Mustang, Mustang called Armstrong, and Armstrong told us," she looked fondly at Ed, "we're here to help you take care of your grief stricken family."

"Thanks for the offer, Teacher, but I can take care of Al and Winry well enough on my own. I don't need help. I'm fine!" he said, trying to convince himself as much as them.

Izumi sighed, "oh, you darling idiot, you haven't changed at all. If you're busy taking care of them, then you won't have time to grieve."

"And besides," Sig added, "it's not as if we're going to change our minds. We know you too well."

Ed laughed, "I can't deny that!"

Izumi and Sig came inside. They saw Al asleep on the couch, nodded to each other, and got right to work. Sig stepped into the kitchen and started making some bacon for breakfast. Izumi gently woke Al up.

Al rubbed his eyes and looked up, when he saw Izumi he gasped and dove behind the couch.

"Hey teacher, long time no see..." he said nervously.

"Oh, Al. I'm not going to hurt you. You just lost someone dear to you. I'm here to help," Izumi said comfortingly.

Al stood up. Tears welled up in his eyes and he hurled himself into Izumi's arms. She patted him comfortingly on the back.

As he watched this, Ed decided it was time to deal with Winry.

Ed knocked on her door. It was about a minute before Winry opened it. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks had tear trails on them.

"Hey, Winry. My teacher and her husband are here, and they're making some breakfast. You should come down and have some," Ed hated to see her like this, and just wanted to get her mind off of it.

After a few seconds, Winry nodded and they walked downstairs to where Sig was finishing the bacon and Izumi and Al were already seated at the table. Al was telling Izumi something about Xing. Ed and Winry walked over and sat down at the table.

"Oh, Al," Ed said, remembering.

"Yes, brother?"

"Mei is on her way here."

"Really?" Al asked, brightening considerably.

"Yeah, she should arrive later today."

Breakfast was quiet, and when it was over, Winry returned to her room. Ed sat at the table for a while longer, wrapped in his own thoughts.

Ed tuned out everything around him. All he could think was: _it's all my fault, I saw that Granny was acting strange, I could have stopped her from going, it's all my fault..._

A/N: Oh Ed, blames himself as per usual. This chapter took a while for me to get it up. Sorry. Anyways, late night writing sessions paid off again. I'll try to make the next chapter shorter. Haha. *Salutes*


	5. Chapter 5: Recovery Pt 1

A/N: In all honesty, this chapter took longer than it should have. Sorry! I'll probably update once a week. Anyhow, thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited, followed, or read! Keep it up, please! I enjoy your feedback and support. Enjoy!

After a while, Ed was shocked out of his thoughts by Sig shouting.

"Hey, Ed! I'm going into town to get some food! You're coming too!"

Ed sighed. Then he heard Sig's voice again.

"Yes, you have to."

Ed sighed again and got up. He walked over to the door where Sig was waiting.

"You're not going to do anything but sit there anyway. Might as well be productive."

The two of them set off towards the center of Resembool. On the way there, Ed was quiet, thinking about Winry and how he felt like he didn't know how to console her. He was so busy thinking that he actually walked right into a signpost. As Ed stumbled and rubbed his head, Sig looked at him and decided to press the issue.

"What's on your mind, Ed? It can't be anything good. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Ed muttered, "Let's just keep going."

Sig put a hand out to block his way. "You idiot, haven't you learned by now that keeping your problems to yourself doesn't help anything?" Sig asked sternly.

Ed grimaced.

"You know, Ed," Sig said in a kinder tone, "there's actually a chance that I can help you."

"Is there any way that you'll let me keep this to myself?"

"Nope."

"I was just worrying about Winry. She seems distraught, and I don't know how to help her."

"Ed, you know Winry better than anyone. You've been with her during emotionally trying times before, right? What did you do then?"

"That's the thing," Ed replied, "I'm useless at times like this. She gets upset, and I don't know what to do. I hate being so powerless, especially when people I care about are in pain."

Sig thought for a moment, "There must have been a time when she was upset and she reached out to you. What did she want from you then?"

Ed thought about it, and then it came to him. After Winry found out that Scar killed her parents, she had reached out to him for comfort. She hadn't wanted pity, she hadn't wanted words, she just wanted him to be there. For the first time in a while, Ed felt like he could help her.

He turned to Sig.

"I've got it. Thanks, Sig."

Sig smiled, "Glad I could help. I hope this has taught you a lesson about sharing your problems."

Ed shrugged, "Maybe."

The two of them walked into town, got the food, and headed back. The whole way, Ed felt happier. He wasn't powerless anymore. Now, he could be there for Winry, and hopefully lessen her pain.

A/N: Yeah this chapter was shorter, but I've been busy so it took me a while regardless. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6: Recovery Pt 2

A/N: Hey everybody! I guess the last chapter wasn't as popular. Oh well. Hopefully you guys like this one better. More EdxWin fluff. Ugh. I'm pathetic, haha. On with the story!

When Ed and Sig came home, Ed immediately ran upstairs to Winry's room. He stopped outside the door, steeled his nerves, then knocked.

Winry opened the door a little bit, "What do you want, Ed?"

"I know that nothing I can say will help you, and you certainly don't want my pity," Ed told her, "but I'm here anyways, just for the purpose of being here for you, because that's what you do for people you care about."

Ed had put a lot of thought into that sentence, and his faith in it was confirmed when Winry put her arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"Ed, you must be sad too. It's okay, you don't have to be the tough guy around me, you know. It's okay to hurt. We all do."

Tears started to form in his eyes, "Yeah, I know, Win. Only with you though."

They lay down on Winry's bed and stayed silent, just taking comfort in each other's presence. Finally, Winry broke the silence.

"You blame yourself, don't you, Ed?"

Ed sighed, "Yeah, well, maybe if I had-"

"Don't start that, Edward. I didn't notice either. Neither of us is to blame, Okay?"

"But-"

"No!"

"If I had-"

"Edward, I will hit you with a wrench if you keep talking."

"...Okay, Win."

"Good."

They stayed silent for a while.

"So how's Al doing?" Winry asked.

"He cheered up when I told him Mei was coming back. Speaking of which, she probably arrived by now."

"Do you want to go down and see?"

Ed thought about it, "No, I don't. Do you?"

"Not really, no. Let's stay here for a bit longer."

Silence again.

"Ed, do you remember what we were talking about when we found out about Granny?" Winry asked.

Ed stiffened, "Yeah..."

"Do you love me, Ed?"

"Uh..."

"I know it's hard, but I want to hear you say it. Will it make it easier for you if I go first?"

"I think so..."

"Okay then," she rolled over to face him, "Edward Elric, I love you. I think I always have."

A pause.

Winry giggled slightly, "It's your turn, dummy."

"Right," Ed took a deep breath, "Winry, I love you. And more than that, I care about you more than just about anything else. I don't want to be apart from you."

"What about your research in the West?"

"I'll see if Mustang can fix me up with a job that's a bit closer to home."

"It'll be nice to have you around. I miss you when you travel."

She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into his arms. For the first time, Ed felt like he knew what real happiness was. This was it.

After a while, he started to get hungry.

"Hey, Winry," he said softly, "I think we should go see about dinner."

She didn't respond, and when he listened closely, he realized that she was snoring softly. Winry had fallen asleep.

_I suppose it would be rude to wake her up, _Ed thought. He decided that he would just go to sleep as well.

Just before he drifted off, one last thought occurred to him, _I really hope no one comes in and sees us like this. That would take a whole lot of explaining..._

A/N: Sorry it took so long to finish. Stuff got in the way. Anyhow there's only one more chapter left for the story I had originally, but if you guys want more, feel free to say so. If a lot of people say they want the story to continue, I'll make up more storyline. Thanks for reading! Review etc. *Salutes*


	7. Chapter 7: Overwhelmed

A/N: Well, the general consensus seems to be that I should keep writing. Your wish is my command, dear readers! Still, I feel like I should take some time to note that this chapter was originally when the story was going to end. I've modified it a bit to keep it going. Enjoy!

Ed woke up when he heard footsteps outside the room. He looked out the window and saw that it was dark out. Winry was still sleeping peacefully in his arms. The footsteps stopped and he saw a shadow under the door. Quietly, Ed slipped out of the bed and made his way over to the door. He stood behind it, waited, then threw it open.

Al was standing there contemplating whether he should see if his brother was awake or not, when the door swung open and hit him in the face.

"Ow!" Al said as his hand flew up to clutch at his now throbbing nose.

Ed stepped out and saw his brother there.

"Oh, it's only you, Al. Sorry about that." Ed said quietly.

"Who did you think it was, brother?" Al asked, annoyed.

"I don't know. I just got paranoid I guess," Ed said sheepishly."

Al sighed.

"Why are you up at a time like this anyway?" Ed asked.

"I was just going to get some water," Al responded.

The brothers walked into the kitchen together and each got a glass of water. They sat down across from each other at the table.

"So, did Mei arrive?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, she got here around dinner time. Thanks for calling her back, brother. It helps, you know?" Al said.

"Definitely. Today I discovered how helpful it can be to have someone you care about near you," Ed told him with a small smile.

"Speaking of which, you disappeared in the middle of the afternoon. What were the two of you even doing that whole time?" Al questioned disbelievingly.

"I'm not really sure to be honest," Ed began, "but I think we just lay there for a while. We talked a bit, and then we went to sleep. That was kind of it. At least, that's all I remember."

"Aww, that's so sweet," said Al with a smile.

"What about you, Al? How did you spend your afternoon?"

"Mei and I went for a walk around town. Got some fresh air, we talked about random things, and then we stopped under the tree at our old house. And, well..." Al blushed.

"What?" Ed asked, curious.

"Well... I kissed her!" Al said excitedly.

Ed was surprised, to say the least. He'd always seen his little brother as someone who was always a step behind him, who needed his help. Now Al had taken the lead socially. The main reason this bothered Ed so much was because it felt like his little brother was all grown up now. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Wow," was all he managed.

"I know!" Al exclaimed, "I might propose to her! Although, that might seem a little rushed. I've never felt more sure about anything in my life, but I don't want to pressure her. What do you think, brother? If I was going to propose, I'd need a ring. And a store to buy the ring from! And money to buy the ring with! So much to think about, am I right? Also, I still might want to go to veterinary school, and of course there's my research in the East. Am I really ready to settle down? I don't know. Maybe I could be? What about you? Also..."

As Al continued to fire off comments and questions at a mile a minute, Ed sat there and wondered where the little kid Al used to be had gone. Now he seemed so much older, more responsible. More than that, Ed was realizing that they would never be brothers in the same way. Other people were becoming more important in their lives than each other. Ed felt kind of sad about that, but at the same time, he felt like it brought him some independence. Ultimately, Ed had no idea what to feel. So much was going through his head. It was just too much to process. Suddenly his head started to spin and he started to feel a bit nauseous. Ed put his hand to his forehead to try and stop the world from spinning.

Al saw this and paused in his rapid fire sentences.

"Are you okay, brother?" AL asked worriedly.

"I need to go back to bed," Ed groaned.

"Oh, are you feeling sick?" Al asked.

Ed nodded and got up. He swayed slightly and Al got up to steady him.

"What's wrong, brother?" Al asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I just... need rest..." Ed mumbled, _and Winry... _he added mentally.

Ed stumbled back to Winry's room and collapsed into the bed next to her. He put his arms around her and tried to get as close to her as he could. Winry stirred.

"Huh?" she muttered drowsily, "what's wrong Ed?"

"Too much..." Ed replied.

"Oh, Ed," she murmured fondly, and pulled him in close.

"We can talk about it in the morning, okay?" Winry told him.

He nodded. Eventually they both fell back asleep.

A/N: So I might post an extra chapter this week. Also, expect some other characters to make appearances as the story progresses. Hope you enjoyed! Review, subscribe, all that!


	8. Chapter 8: Strength

A/N: This chapter is late, sorry! I have no excuse. I just forgot. My sincerest apologies! Enjoy more EdxWin fluff.

Ed was woken up the next morning by someone tapping him. He opened his eyes and saw Winry sitting on the bed holding a tray.

"I made you some breakfast!" she said happily.

"Wow, thanks, Win!" Ed replied with a smile. He quickly devoured the meal. And then realized he was in Winry's room. The events of the previous day flooded back to him, and then so did the events of the night. He felt some discomfort again as he remembered his conversation with Al.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Winry asked worriedly.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Ed said, he didn't want her to worry.

"Oh, Ed. What am I going to do with you?" Winry said fondly, "when are you going to learn that I'm here for you? I want to help you with your problems, I want you to feel good. Tell me what's wrong, because I bet I can help."

Ed smiled, "Yeah, you probably can."

Ed explained the situation.

"I probably shouldn't be feeling like this, right?" Ed asked, "I'm just being weird..."

"No, Ed. I think it's normal. I don't have any siblings, so I couldn't say for certain, but it sounds like you're feeling nostalgic for the times when Al was little and you had to look out for him," Winry told him as she put an arm around him.

"But why?"

"Well, Ed. You're the only one that can answer that for sure, but if I had to guess, it's because you like protecting people you care about. You're a protective person, Ed. You never want the people you care about to be in pain. And when Al was little, you got to protect him more. Now that he doesn't need you as much, you feel insecure because you don't have anyone to protect," Winry explained.

"How come you can read me like a book?" Ed sighed.

"Because I've known you for so long," Winry answered.

There was a pause.

"Don't worry, Ed. You and Al will always be brothers, and friends. He'll never go away. You also have me. Don't be afraid to talk to me, okay?"

Ed let out a long sigh and hugged Winry.

"Win?"

"Yeah?"

"I... Well, I..."

"What is it, Ed?"

"I... I love you, Winry, more than anything-"

Suddenly a loud knock at the door interrupted them.

"If you think you can stay in there forever, you are mistaken! I will not have a former pupil of mine sleeping all day! There are things to be done, you know! I expect you to help do them!" Izumi shouted through the wood.

Ed stared blankly at the door, "Oh yeah, right. Teacher's here. I kind of forgot.

Winry smiled at him, "Come on then! Let's rejoin society!"

She started for the door but Ed took her hand.

"Win, before we go out there, I..."

"Huh? What's up?" Winry asked, confused.

Ed pulled her to him and kissed her. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"I just wanted to do that," Ed murmured.

They both blushed.

"Oh... I, uh, okay then," Winry stammered.

"Well!" Ed exclaimed, his regular grin back in its place, "Let's go rejoin the others."

Ed walked towards the door. As he put his hand on the knob, Winry started to say something and he turned around.

"That felt good, you know. The kiss, I mean..." Winry said as she looked at the floor.

"Yeah. It did, didn't it. I don't want to be alone anymore. The kiss makes it official. I am yours, and you are mine, right?"

Winry looked at him and smiled, "Right!"

With that, Ed took her hand and together they walked back into the world.

Ed figured that he probably had some tough times ahead, he was starting his adult life. But he also knew it would be made easier because he had Winry by his side.

Winry had a feeling that getting started and learning to look out for herself would be hard, but she felt that she could do anything, as long as she had Ed.

There was something about the way they walked into the room that made Al take notice. Maybe it was because they were holding hands, maybe it was because they were both smiling so much, but whatever it was, it made Al think that the two of them looked a lot more confident and a lot stronger than they had been before. He smiled to himself, he always knew they would be strong together.

A/N: Yeah, sorry for beating in the symbolism. I was a little stretched for ideas this week. Anyways, thanks for reading! There's more to come, so stay tuned! Oh god, I sound like such a moron. Review and all that! And thanks to all of you who have favorited or followed or reviewed up to this point! *Salutes*


	9. Chapter 9: Future

A/N: Okay this chapter wasn't as much of a rush job. Enjoy!

Ed and Al lounged on the bank of the river, having stuck their fishing rods in the mud.

Ed sighed and thought, _When Sig suggested me and Al go fishing, I'm not sure he realized that this river is lifeless. Then again, neither did I._

"Brother?" Al said all of a sudden.

"Yeah?" Ed replied.

"Is there anything alive in this river?"

"It sure doesn't seem like it."

Al sat up straight and looked down at the water, "We've been here for hours and haven't gotten a single fish. That's not right."

Ed stared blankly at the sky.

"Speaking of not right," Al said, turning to his older brother, "You were acting really weird the other day."

Ed sat up and looked at him, confused.

"Remember? Our middle of the night conversation? You opened a door into my face, then seemed to not be feeling well. The next morning, you were fine. What happened?" Al recounted.

Ed sighed. Honestly he felt stupid for his feelings that night, he really hated that he felt so insecure. Winry helped of course, but he still felt bad about it.

"I don't know, Al... I just... It felt like you were growing up and leaving me behind..."

Al laughed and smiled at Ed, "Brother, you really make the biggest deal out of the smallest things."

Ed frowned at his little brother.

"No offense meant, but it seems weird that you worry about that and are fine with taking on a god-like entity in a fist fight."

"Hey, I'm just that type of guy. I sweat the small stuff," Ed said as he tried to cover up his own embarrassment.

"I don't think you have to worry about me leaving you behind. After all, you're the one who spent all day in bed with Winry!" Al said as he elbowed his older brother.

"It wasn't like that..." Ed muttered as he blushed.

"I'm just messing with you! You're so tense... What's with that?"

"The future, Al."

"The future, eh?" Al said as he looked off into space to consider it.

Eventually he shrugged, "I'll just do what my heart tells me to and wing it from there!" Al said with a grin.

"That's it?" Ed asked, surprised.

"Yep! If I worry about it now, then I won't get to enjoy it."

Ed was pondering his brother's statement when Al got up.

"Brother, I think we should head back."

The two of them walked back to the house. When the entered, Izumi scowled at them.

"What's this, no fish? I can't believe two former pupils of mine spent the whole day lazing around," she scolded.

"It wasn't our fault!" they shouted.

"Hmph. We're leaving tomorrow, and you four will have to take care of yourselves. Make sure you do."

Al walked away as soon as he saw Mei.

Ed headed back upstairs and walked to Winry's workshop where she was looking intently at a project and examining it.

"Hey, Win!"

Winry turned around and smiled at him. He pulled up a chair and watched her work for a while. There was something about her determination that Ed loved. After a while she turned to him.

"What were you going to tell me earlier?"

Ed was confused, "Huh?"

"Earlier, you said 'I love you' and then you started to say something else. What was it?" Winry asked.

"Oh..." Ed blushed.

"Come on, Ed. It doesn't matter how stupid it sounds in your head, I'm sure I'll appreciate it."

"I just wanted to say, that more than anything I've been sure of before, I'm sure I want to be with you, I'm sure I love you."

Ed looked at the ground.

"That's very sweet, Ed" Winry told him softly, "I feel the same way."

They shared a smile and then went back to silence.

A/N: Yeah this chapter is late too, but I have a good excuse this time! My ISP is terrible. Late night writing FTW. Review follow... read... Etc.


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